Here's why a Scottish Labour government would be better than an SNP one
People want action, not SNP excuses and blame-shifting
Last week I wrote about how young people are Scotland’s future, and why this election must be about the Scotland we build for the next generation. This election is a choice between more of the same with the SNP or change with Scottish Labour.
But as anyone who has grown up under the SNP knows, slogans are easy – it’s delivery that counts. This week, Scottish Labour published our manifesto setting out our plan in detail.
We’ll restore the NHS so it’s there for Scots when they need it. That means cutting waiting times, bringing back the family doctor and creating a new emergency mental health response team to ensure those in crisis get the right support.
It also means investing in the NHS of the future, such as AI scanners to get quicker diagnosis and faster treatment, and ensuring a speedy roll-out of an NHS app so patients can book appointments and get repeat prescriptions on their phone.
READ MORE: Next Scottish government 'will be held to the fire' if NHS does not improve, warns Unison
Cutting the cost of living
We will build stronger and safer communities. That includes a £350 million fund to fix nearly five million potholes, putting bus services back under public control and delivering faster intercity travel on our rail network, with a more frequent Glasgow-to-Edinburgh express service.
And it means restoring law and order with a named community police officer for every neighbourhood. We will also tackle the cost-of-living pressures unleashed by the illegal actions of Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump in the Middle East.
If the international instability continues, a Scottish Labour government will deliver a £100m package of emergency support. The actions we will take include providing loans for energy-intensive industries to protect jobs, bulk-buying fuel to drive down prices at pumps, and offering crisis grants and loans for households.
We will also convene an emergency summit of the supermarkets to bring down the cost of staple items and redeploy the civil service to support people to maximise their incomes.
Unfair business rates abolished
The SNP’s response is to blame someone else, but people want action not excuses. However, in the long term, Scotland’s security relies on economic prosperity.
You can’t fund public services or provide emergency support unless you have a vibrant economy. That’s why Scottish Labour will end the SNP’s ideological block on clean nuclear energy so we can attract billions of pounds of investment, create thousands of high-skilled jobs and deliver energy security.
We’ll abolish unfair business rates to support our high streets and make sure online giants pay their fair share, reform procurement so government money backs Scottish workers and we build and buy more in Scotland, and overhaul planning to speed up decisions and unlock land for new development.
Underlying the manifesto is a commitment to end the quango culture and respect taxpayers’ money. That’s why it has been carefully costed, something acknowledged by the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
It’s a manifesto to fix the SNP’s mess, get the basics right and make Scotland better for the future. The SNP have had nearly 20 years to deliver on their promises – Scottish Labour is asking for five.
Five years to stop the SNP’s managed decline and reset Scotland. But a better future doesn’t happen by accident. We’ve set out our plan for change – on May 7, it’s up to you to vote for it.
Jackie Baillie is the Scottish Labour candidate for Dumbarton
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